OLYMPIA, Wash. – Despite a slowdown in the growth rate of homelessness in Washington, the numbers remain alarmingly high according to the 2025 Point In Time (PIT) count and the Department of Commerce’s Snapshot of Homelessness report. Commerce Director Joe Nguyễn highlighted the urgency of the situation.
On January 30, 22,173 individuals were recorded as experiencing homelessness in Washington, excluding King County’s unsheltered count, during the annual PIT count. Of these, 33% were unsheltered while 67% were in emergency shelters or transitional housing. This marks a 4.4% increase from 2024 and a 25% rise since 2022.
Nguyễn emphasized the severity of the issue, saying, “Too many people in our communities don’t know where they’re going to sleep at night, or if they’ll be safe when they try to rest.”
The Snapshot report, which offers a more comprehensive estimate, showed 158,791 people in emergency shelters or unhoused in January 2025. This reflects a 2.2% increase from the previous year.
Nguyễn credited legislative support and Governor Ferguson for facilitating investments in programs designed to help individuals maintain housing and regain stability.
The state Legislature has invested about $1.8 billion for the 2025-27 biennium into housing and homelessness initiatives, including the Housing Trust Fund and other programs. New funding streams have also been introduced, allowing some jurisdictions to conduct unsheltered PIT counts every other year.
Despite these efforts, Nguyễn reiterated the crisis, stating, “No matter how we look at it, homelessness is an emergency in Washington.”
Commerce is committed to ongoing collaboration with counties and service providers to address homelessness through the 2024-29 State Homeless Housing Strategic Plan. This includes ensuring service access, strengthening the workforce, and creating diverse housing options.
For more information on the PIT count and the Snapshot of Homelessness, visit the Commerce Point in Time Count site.
